President Milanović: If you don’t want Vučić to spoil your show, you don’t invite him
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović participated in the 19th meeting of the Heads of State of European Union member countries, the Arraiolos Group, held in Krakow, Poland, where transatlantic relations were discussed in the context of global challenges and threats.
“There are always differences of opinion, but it is a characteristic of the European Union that these are addressed in a polite and civilized manner. It is normal that not everyone here thinks the same. On one side, we have Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia, and on the other, Bulgaria and Slovakia, and we know that they are not the same. However, this is still a relatively compact group because the European Union has learned some lessons from history,” said President Milanović in response to Croatian media when asked whether there were differences of opinion during the meeting.
“It is important that these matters do not become overly ideological, as that causes great upheavals. What we are advocating here is not an ideology, but simply a common interest shared by a number of, mostly, nation-states – each with its own history, tradition, culture, and customs, which differ greatly from Portugal to Finland, and the differences are vast. It is certainly not about some ideological platform where we believe everyone must be the same as us. We are not the same, and we never will be, and I, as the President of Croatia and a member of the Croatian nation, would not want that,” he emphasized.
Speaking about transatlantic cooperation, President Milanović expressed his belief that Europe needs to become a bit more independent. “We can’t be in a panic here about who will win the U.S. presidential election. Someone will win, and that’s that,” he said, adding that this time there are no favourites.
President Milanović said that at the meeting he presented his position on two topics: the war in Ukraine and the expansion of the European Union. “I cannot change anything in Ukraine, and I am against further military involvement in that conflict,” he said. Regarding EU expansion, he stated: “Montenegro or Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly due to our interests and the Croats living there, are certainly much more likely candidates for the EU than Moldova and Ukraine.”
Speaking about the recently held summit in Dubrovnik, to which he was not invited, President Milanović commented on Prime Minister Plenković’s statement that, according to protocol, either the Prime Minister or the President attends such summits. President Milanović said that it was Prime Minister Plenković’s decision. “We probably would have agreed that I shouldn’t attend, and he’s right about that. But as usual, all his other motives are dirty. Still, he is technically right here, and I agree,” said the President of the Republic.
President Milanović also commented on President Vučić’s statement in Dubrovnik. “When I heard that Vučić was invited to Dubrovnik, I thought it wouldn’t end well. Vučić is the President of a country that still maintains direct relations with Moscow, doesn’t impose sanctions, and follows its own path. How do you expect Vučić to approach and agree with a Declaration that was unintelligently worded by Plenković and his associates, where sanctions against Russia are mentioned,” said President Milanović, adding that it would have been wiser not to invite him. “If you want to talk to Vučić and ensure that he doesn’t spoil your show, then you either adjust the content and tone, or, more wisely, you don’t invite him. The moment you invite him and start talking about the destruction of Dubrovnik, which we all know is true, he will respond. What did you hope to achieve with that?” the President asked.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek, Marek Borawski/KPRP, Przemysław Keler/KPRP